


Fool.

by KoraKwidditch



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Brooding, F/M, Feels, Light Angst, POV Charlie Weasley, Pining, Pregnancy, Surprises, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:20:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25519426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KoraKwidditch/pseuds/KoraKwidditch
Summary: Charlie would do anything for his sister-in-law, even if it broke his heart.
Relationships: Fleur Delacour/Bill Weasley, Fleur Delacour/Charlie Weasley
Comments: 32
Kudos: 33
Collections: Dumbledore's Armada: Wheel of Death Flash Fiction Comp





	Fool.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Wheel of Death Flash Fiction Comp hosted by Frumpologist in Dumbledore’s Armada Discord Server. My chosen character was Charlie. My Wheel of Death prompts were:
> 
> Character: Fleur Delacour
> 
> Trope: Teamwork
> 
> Theme: Change 
> 
> Quote: “Lord, what fools these mortals be.” -Shakespeare

**Fool.**

“I’m pregnant!” 

Charlie Weasley regarded his sister-in-law with wide eyes at her confession, heart hammering in his chest. He should be happy for her, shouldn’t he? He should be overjoyed to find out that he would be an uncle, but the only thing he felt was dread. 

The woman he loved was pregnant—with his brother’s child. 

But of course, she was pregnant; she and Bill were married. It was an obvious change that was bound to happen in time. He knew he was a fool, for how could he compare to his brother? How could Charlie ever hope to live up to the love between Fleur and Bill? Or worse yet, how could he come between them? 

The answer was simple. He wouldn’t. 

No, instead, he would love Fleur from afar. He would put on a show of brotherly affection but deep down... Deep down, his heart would crack with every kiss he saw, and his soul would wither with every touch. 

Charlie could barely remember when he realised his feelings for his sister-in-law. He remembered meeting her; that had been a day he would never forget. The memory of her sapphire eyes meeting his for the first time would forever brand his heart. When she said hello to him in her beautiful, honeyed voice—laced with a slight French accent—Charlie nearly went weak in the knees. Discovering she was quarter-Veela outraged everyone, his mother had been sure Fleur kept Bill under some type of spell.

But it wasn’t Bill she had captivated—no—it was Charlie. 

With every blink of her blonde lashes, with every movement of her slender fingers, Charlie fell deeper and harder in love. There was no longer a moment that went by where his thoughts wouldn’t turn to her. Romania no longer held the glittering appeal it once did. Instead, all he could think of was her; to return to England for her. 

When he finally had the chance, he took it. And now... Now everything would change. He couldn’t have these feelings for Fleur. Charlie knew that—fuck, he did, but he couldn’t let go. 

He was a damned fool. But Merlin, he was only mortal. 

“You are not ‘appy?” she asked, gazing at him with those captivating orbs. 

Charlie swallowed thickly, attempting to form a reply. He forced a smile to his lips, willing it to meet his eyes, to make her think he was happy. “Of course, I am.” 

The lie sat thick in his throat.

The radiant grin that graced her lips had Charlie’s heart racing, the pulse thundering through his veins. Tearing his gaze from it to calm himself, Charlie looked out the nearest window of Shell Cottage, noting the bright summer sun was nothing in comparison to Fleur’s smile. 

“I need your ‘elp,” she said in her tinkling voice. “You and Bill are best friends. You are my friend. Could you ‘elp me surprise ‘im?”

Charlie turned back to her, disappointment radiating through him to find the smile no longer curled her mouth. “He doesn’t know?” 

The smile returned, and Charlie’s knees went weak. 

“You are ze first.” 

Something warm bloomed in his chest to know she trusted him enough to be the first to learn of her secret. That he, out of all of the other Weasley siblings, had been chosen by her to help with this. It pained him to agree, but he did—nodding and telling her they would figure out a plan. At least in this, he could spend time with her, could be in her sole presence for a little while. 

Fool. 

An hour later, he sat with Fleur at the dining table, discussing different ways to tell Bill about the baby. Each idea crushed his soul further, but to see her light up as they talked eased the pain considerably. What made her happy, made him happy, and Charlie would be remiss in doing anything close to the opposite. 

Unfortunately, neither of them could agree on a course of action. Charlie’s ideas were simple and to the point, while Fleur wanted something grandiose and extraordinary. He admired the way she wanted to surprise his brother—even if it pained him to do so—but he knew Bill wouldn’t want something quite so intense; he was a simple man. 

Coming to a standstill, Fleur huffed in irritation and went to the kitchen, leaving Charlie alone for a moment. It allowed him to finally breathe fully for the first time since he arrived at Shell Cottage. Her absence, however, brought an idea. It would sadden him to part with it, but if there was anyone besides himself he would want to have this item, it would be Fleur. 

As she returned to her chair, Charlie told Fleur of his devised plan. 

“But what is zis item?” she asked as she sipped her glass of water, the condensation pooling at the tips of her fingers. 

Charlie hesitated and watched as the rivulets ran over her pale skin, “It’s... a box.” 

“A box?” 

Flicking his eyes back up to her sapphire gaze, Charlie swallowed. “It would be better to show you, but it’s at the Burrow.” 

Fleur stood and pulled her wand from her trouser pocket. “Alright, we can just—oh. I was going to suggest to Apparate, but...” she placed a hand over her stomach.

Right, pregnant witches couldn’t Apparate. 

“Do you have a broom?” Charlie asked.

“Only ze one, but zat is alright, I will fly wiz you,” Fleur stated this matter-of-factly—as if it was the simplest thing in the world for her and Charlie to fly together. But she had no idea how it heated his blood to think of her pressed to him, caged in his arms. 

He only hoped he could keep the broom steady.

Fleur retrieved the CleanSweep 8, and they walked outside, Charlie mounting the handle as Fleur sat in front of him. He tucked his arms around her waist, grabbing the wood between her knees. A jolt went through him as she wrapped her delicate hands around his forearms, the heat of her palms causing goosebumps to spread over the freckled skin. 

It would take a miracle for them to get to the Burrow without him crashing into something. 

They ascended, the wind whipping through Fleur’s pale locks. Her hair smelled of cherries and vanilla, and Charlie inhaled, relishing in the scent. He could pretend, just for this short while, that Fleur was his—that they were together, taking a short trip. He could enjoy the way his arms fit perfectly around her without the pang of guilt. He could delight in the feel of her hands on his skin without thinking of his brother—her husband. 

Fool. He was an utter fool. 

Charlie willed the thoughts from his mind. The wind carried the words away on a cherry-scented breeze, and Charlie returned his focus to the witch in his arms. Fleur turned to him, throwing a dazzling smile over her shoulder. 

The broom faltered, dropping a few feet in the air. 

Charlie quickly got it back on track, Fleur gripping his arms tighter than before. Was it wrong of him to enjoy the feel of it? 

Fleur looked back at him with concern. “Are you alright?” 

“Fine.” Charlie bit out.  _ Idiot _ . 

They zipped through the air, Charlie desperately attempting to keep his composure while Fleur did every subconscious thing she could to drive him absolutely mental. 

She laughed as they flew over the trees. 

She pressed her back to his chest as they descended.

And fuck, when she squeezed his arms just before she dismounted the broom, Charlie’s heart skipped a beat. 

They walked inside together, the house oddly quiet. Charlie called out for his mum, but no answer came. 

“Perhaps she is at Diagon Alley,” Fleur commented, peering into the living room in search of her mother-in-law. 

Charlie was thankful for that fact. For some reason, he felt odd being with Fleur alone. Though he knew he would never act on his feelings, a small part of him still felt the wrongness of this. He was just glad no one else knew his secret. 

“I’ll be right back,” he told Fleur, mounting the stairs to his room. 

A quick search through his trunk had him pulling out the Rune-scribed box. It was an old thing, something he discovered on a dragon capture in Egypt. It was made of some type of metal, with runes etched across the surface. Charlie had never managed to open it himself—curse-breaking wasn’t his forte, he had to hire a wizard in Romania to figure it out—but for Fleur and his brother, it would be the perfect gift. 

Coming back to the kitchen, Charlie showed Fleur the box and told her of its origins. Fleur fawned over the item, excitement lacing her tone that had Charlie’s breath stuttering. To see her glittering eyes so enraptured made all the pain he had endured today worth it. 

Charlie told her of his idea, he would give her the incantation to unlock the box, and she could place a note inside of it that said she was pregnant. Bill would have to figure out the spell for himself, but once he got the box open, he would see the note. It was unique enough to appeal to Fleur’s theatrical ideas, while simple enough to not overwhelm Bill.

The grin she gave him had him falling into the nearest chair, knees weak from the radiance it exuded. 

“Zis is perfect, Charlie. Zank you, truly. It means the world to me you would give zis to us.” 

It was enough to hear those words. It was enough. It had to be. 

“Of course, Fleur. I’m extremely happy for you two, and I know Bill is going to be over the moon.” His voice sounded foreign, like the words came from someone else’s mind. They used his lips and tongue, but his thoughts were far off, envisioning another time and reality where she would give this box to him—where that baby would be his. 

Fool. 

Fleur returned to the CleanSweep, the time nearing Bill’s arrival home from work. Charlie followed her outside, and when she pulled him in for a chaste hug, his stomach dropped. He allowed himself a moment to savour the way she tucked into him. 

When she pulled away, Charlie felt hollow. Empty. Like he would never feel complete until she was in his arms again. 

Then, she left on a breeze, her cherry scent lingering against his shirt. Charlie stood in place, watching her fade into the distance, the box tucked under her arm, and his heart leaving with her. 

Had Bill not been his brother, had their bond not been forged in blood, Charlie would have stolen Fleur from him. He wouldn’t have kept his feelings hidden. 

But Bill was his brother, and Charlie was a fool.


End file.
